CryptoSlate
Circle and ACI Worldwide announced a Colombia-focused pilot on Oct. 27, 2026, pairing ACI’s Connetic platform with Circle’s USDC infrastructure. The demonstration will let institutions evaluate USDC settlement alongside the payment systems they already use, including treasury, governance and settlement processes.
Why it matters
Connetic is the orchestration layer, bringing traditional payment types, digital assets and card payments into one operating environment. USDC is the stablecoin settlement option being evaluated. The proposed integration does not mean that all payments handled by Connetic would settle in USDC.
The pilot addresses a practical hurdle for institutional adoption: how digital-dollar settlement fits existing operations and controls. ACI’s global head of account-to-account payments, Craig Ramsey, said financial institutions want to understand how digital-asset settlement can fit infrastructure and operating models they already trust.
Market impact
Circle describes USDC as fully reserved and redeemable one-for-one for US dollars. Eligible institutions can redeem through Circle Mint, while individuals and small businesses cannot use that service directly. The companies have not specified how USDC access will work for this pilot.
Circle markets USDC payments as low cost and capable of settling in seconds, but the announcement gives no Colombia-specific comparison of speed or cost. It also names no participating Colombian financial institutions and provides no transaction volumes or broad rollout timetable. The project is a demonstration, not evidence of production adoption across the country.
Frequently asked questions
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What does ACI’s Connetic platform do in the Colombia pilot?
Connetic provides the orchestration environment, bringing traditional payment types, digital assets and card payments together. Circle’s USDC infrastructure supplies the stablecoin settlement option being evaluated.
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Will every payment on Connetic settle in USDC?
No. The pilot evaluates USDC settlement alongside existing payment operations. The announcement does not say that all payments handled by Connetic would settle in USDC.
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What institutional processes will the pilot assess?
Institutions will evaluate how USDC settlement fits treasury operations, governance frameworks and settlement processes.
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What does the announcement say about USDC redemption?
Circle describes USDC as fully reserved and redeemable one-for-one for US dollars. Eligible institutions can redeem through Circle Mint, while individuals and small businesses cannot use that service directly.
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Does the pilot establish broad bank adoption or faster, cheaper settlement in Colombia?
No such result is established. The announcement names no participating banks or production volumes and provides no Colombia-specific comparison of settlement speed or cost.
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